From 1763 to 1776, the tension between Great Britain and the colonies grew. These thirteen years proved critical to the idea of a free America as new, strictly enforced British policies led to an increase in the call for independence. These strict new laws drove the colonies away from Great Britain and made them cling to republican values. At the end of the French and Indian War in 1763 the British felt as though the colonies should pay for the war seeing as it was fought on colonial land. In 1764, the Sugar Act was passed, and unlike similar laws before it that were leniently enforced due to salutary neglect, the Sugar Act was actually enforced. This tax on sugar and molasses lead to the colonists finding their own ways to obtain these substances. Many smuggled them in from rival nations such as the Dutch and Spain. They resisted and avoided the tax by doing so, thus costing the British more money. …show more content…
Most of these items were paper goods, such as legal documents and licenses, and newspapers. Colonists protested this tax in many ways. The Sons and Daughters of Liberty, a revolutionary-minded group, was formed as a result of this tax. The phrase “No Taxation without representation” was also coined as a result of this tax. Many colonists felt that it was unfair to be taxed like this without any say in the matter whatsoever. The colonists wanted a say in government, and this is a reason why many colonists felt that breaking away from Great Britain would be a positive thing for the politics of the colonies. Many people again boycotted this tax in order to spite the heavy enforcement put in place by the British